Door-operating mechanism.



F. JOHNSON.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, I911- Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. FRANK JOHNSON, OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL PNEUMATIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmette, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door operating mechanism and particularly to means for efficiently completing the door closing movement and for initiating the door opening movement.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Where doors are mechanically operated manually by crank actuated rods or levers difficulty is encountered in efiiciently completing the closing movement and also in initially starting the opening movement of the door, particularly Where the crank actuated operating rod or lever is on or near the dead center line of its connection when the door is in closed position. In such case considerable manual effort is required to entirely close the door and also to inititate its opening movement, While at the same time heavy strains are'imposed upon the operating connections as well as upon the hinges of the door. This trouble is increased where heavy doors are concerned, such as are employed, for example, in garages.

It is among the special purposes of my invention to avoid these and other objections and to this end I propose to employ a fulcrum device about which the door operating rod operates as the door approaches its final closing movement and also as the door is initially moved from its completely closed position, said fulcrum device serving not only to increase the lever arm through which the door closing and initial opening movements are effected but also serving to effect the complete closing movement through a cushion action which enables the door 'to be closed without slam or jar. The

arrangement also relieves the door hinges as Well aS the operating devices of undue Strain in effecting the door movements and Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 16, 1917.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Serial No. 175.241.

reduces the manual 'efl'ort required to effect the door closing and operating movements.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a door and its operating mechanism, parts broken off and in section, showing application of a structure embodying my invention with the parts shown in full lines when the door is completely closed, and diagrammatically illustrating in dotted lines the position of the parts in various degrees of opened position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the door in full opened position.

Fig. 3 is a broken view in side elevation of the upper portion of the door, showing the application thereto of a door operating and fulcrum mechanism embodying my invention.

The door is indicated at 5, and may be of the usual or any ordinary or desired form, type or structure, and in the form shown, is hinged or pivoted at 6, at one vertical edge thereof to the adjacent wall joint 7, in the ordinary manner. A vertical operating shaft 8 is provided with a handle 9 by which said shaft is rotated. A crank arm 10 is carried by the upper end of operating shaft 8, and to this crank arm is pivotally connected one end of an operating link or arm 11, the other end of which is pivotally connected at 12 to the door, preferably, though not necessarily to the upper edge of the door at a convenient distance from the vertical hinge axis of the door to afford a desirable degree of leverage for properly operating the door. The arrangement is such that the link or arm 11 approaches or just passes its dead center line with reference to the operating crank arm 10 when the door is in its completely closed position, and consequently when the operating crank is in such a relation as to exert its minimum leverage. It is this relation which requires the expenditure of the greatest power to effect the complete closing movement of the door as well as its initial opening movement, and which results in imposing the greatest strains on the door hinges and the parts of the operating mechanism. Any other relation of the parts would result in too slow an operation of the bracket 13 at a convenient point on the ceiling or wall above the doorway and over the door when in closed position, which bracket, at its free end, is constructed to receive and form a fulcrum for the door operating arm or link 11 as the door approaches and finally occupies its completely closed position. The bracket 13 is so loeated as to afford a fulcrum point for the link or arm 11 at such a distance from the ends of the latter to secure the desired degree of leverage for completely closing the door or to initiate its opening movement with the least degree of strain or effort. For practical operation the location of the fulcrum afforded by the bracket 13 may be fixed, as shown, at a point adjacent the path of the swinging edge of the door and so as to be engaged by the link or arm 11 at approximately two thirds to one half the length of the link or arm llthough this location may be changed or varied as conditions may require.

Many specifically difi'erent structures of fulcrum bearing may be employed which willembody the principles of my invention. I have shown a simple illustrative form wherein the bracket 13 is provided with a curved seat 14 at the outer or free end in which is received a pin or projection 15, carried by the arm or link 11, when the door approaches or attains its closed position.

The operation is exceedingly simple. lVith the parts occupying the relative positions thereof as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, that is, with the doorin completely closed position, suppose it is desired to open the door. In such case the handle 9 is manipulated and the operating shaft 8 and its crank arm 10 are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow. The end of the link arm 11 which is connected to the crank arm will be carried laterally toward the position indicated by the dotted line a. This movement ordinarily would require an excessive expenditure of power and would develop excessive strain in the operating connect-ions and hinges of the door if depended upon to effect the initial opening movement of the door. With the arm or link 11 having a fulcrum bearing upon the bracket 13, however, the lateral movement of said arm or link 11 will exert an opening pressure on the door through a leverage having as its effective length the distance from the fulcrum point at the bracket 13 to the point of con nection 12 of the arm to the door, thereby easily and without strain or excessive expenditure of power initiating the opening. movement of the door. Of course the farther the crank arm moves in the direction of the arrow in Fi 1 the greater will be the door opening leverage'it exerts independently of thelateral or fulcrum movement of arm 11 about the bracket, and due to the endwise movement of the arm 11 resulting from the door opening operation, the more and more will the Work of operating the door in opening be transferred from the fulcrum action described toythe crank arm ac tion, and at the same time the link or arm 11 will leave its fulcrum bearing on bracket 18, and the door opening movement will be completed rapidly and easily solely through the crank arm action. Similarly in V closing the door, the link or arm 11, as the door approaches its closed position will take fulcrum bearing on the bracket 13, as the leverage and power of the crank arm decreases, and the final closing movement of -the door is effected through the fulcrum leverage. This insures the completion of the door closingmovement without excessive expenditure of power without undue strain on the parts or hinges, and at the same time a cushioning action is secured which prevents the door from slamming closed.

By suitably curvi-n the fulcrum seat in bracket 13, the curve wall thereof secures a smooth easy engagement of the link or arm 11, as well as the cushioning action referred to, and at the same time permits the ready and easy access to exit from the seat of the engaging portion of the arm or link 11.

As above stated, the fulcrum bearing structure for the arm or link 11 may be varied throughout a wide range without departure from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention, and a construction embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and usefuhand of my own inven tion, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a swinging door, acrank actuated arm connected to the door, of a fulcrum bearing arranged to be engaged by said arm intermediate the ends of said arm when the door approaches its completely closed position.

2. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a swinging door, a crank actuated arm connected to the door, of a fulcrum bearing arranged to be engaged by said arm intermediate the ends of said arm when the door is in its closed position to facilitate the initial opening movement of the door.

3. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a swinging door, a crank actuated arm connected to the door, of a fixed bracket arranged adjacent the closed position of the door to be engaged by said arm intermediate its ends and to forma fulcrum for said arm when the door approaches or occupies its closed position.

4. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a swinging door, a crank actuated arm connected to the door, of a fixed bracket arranged adjacent the closed position of the door and having a curved seat to be engaged by said arm intermediate the ends thereof and to form a fulcrum for said arm when the door approaches or occupies its closed position.

5. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a swinging door, a crank actuated arm connected to the door, of a fixed bracket arranged adjacent the closed position of the door, said arm having a pin or projection at a point intermediate its ends to engage said bracket as the door approaches or occupies its closed position.

6. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a swinging door and a crank actuated arm connected to the door, of a fixed bracket arranged adjacent the closed position of the door and having a curved seat, said arm having a pin or projection at a point intermediate its ends to engage in said seat as the door approaches or occupies its closed position.

In a door operating mechanism, an operating shaft, a crank arm thereon, a door moving arm connected at one end to said crank arm and at the other end to the door, and a fixed bracket arranged to be engaged by said arm at a point intermediate its ends and to form a fulcrum for said arm as the door approaches or occupies its closed position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 14th day of June A. D. 1917.

. FRANK JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). O. 

